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| 31 Mar 2009 11:21:26 pm |
 Waxman, Markey Unveil Draft Energy Bill |
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Reps. Henry Waxman, D-CA, and Ed Markey, D-MA, chairmen respectively of the Energy and Commerce Committee and its Energy and Environment subcommittee, today released a draft of their comprehensive energy bill that they plan to take up later in April.
The bill includes a Renewable Electricity Standard of 25% by 2025, energy efficiency standards for buildings, appliances and transportation, a cap and trade system aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 and 83% by 2050, with 2 billion tons of offsets allowed.
Some in Congress are nervous about putting all of the provisions in a single bill, but that is the current strategy adopted by House and Senate leadership. |
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Category : AWEA News
| Posted By : Chris Madison |
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| 31 Mar 2009 11:01:52 pm |
| Wisconsin Gov. Doyle Talks Up Wind at Workshop |
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From guest bloggers Jeff Anthony, AWEA's Manager of Utility Program and Brad Lystra, AWEA's Outreach specialist
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle provided the Keynote Address today to an over-flowing, standing-room audience at AWEA's supply chain seminar in Appleton.
Noting that Wisconsin has seen unemployment rise from 4% to 8.8% since last fall, the highest levels since the Great Depression, he noted, "It is a time of enormous pressures and a time of enormous opportunities" for Wisconsin. He also sees it is a time of major transformation. We will emerge with a stronger economy when we recover and , he says, we don't want to go back to the old way of doing business, built on fragile derivatives and other shaky financial instruments, but rather based on strong jobs and strong industries, focused on clean energy as a large sector.
"Wisconsin does not have gas, coal, or oil -- every dollar is being sent out of state for our energy needs. Every dollar we send out of state does not help build our economy. That's why we are so committed to renewable energy," the Governor said. "We need to set very high state renewable electricity standards" while it is being pursued in Washington at a federal level. He said he intends to pursue a goal of 25% by 2025 for both electricity and transportation fuels from renewable sources in this state.
"Investment in wind energy is being driven by states that have an RES in place. As a matter of state policy and national policy, it is important that we move toward a (national) renewable energy standard...We need to make a long-term commitment to renewable energy in this country."
He also stressed the need to foster a climate in the state that favors innovation and research, modeled after the state's efforts in life sciences and health care. "We need to do the same for energy research as well."
Governor Doyle noted that groups like The New North are leading the charge in the state to bring business to the wind industry and the wind industry to businesses in Wisconsin. Motorcycles, machining, paper products, mining equipment, medical diagnostic equipment are hallmarks of Wisconsin industries that lead the nation in quality and sophistication, and Governor Doyle notes that wind energy supply chain efforts should be added to that list as well. He also noted that the ARRA stimulus bill directed a good deal of the dollars at "green energy" projects and manufacturing. He wants to put people to work and wants to see the dollars put to the best possible use to truly make Wisconsin an "energy independent" state.
He also noted that "we are also going to need additional transmission -- smart transmission, to get wind energy from where it can best be generated, maybe not in Wisconsin -- to get it to where someone turns on a light bulb without significant losses of energy along the way." He also noted that the state and nation face great challenges, and added that "we better act on this opportunity while we have the chance to investment in the clean energy future." |
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Category : AWEA News
| Posted By : Chris Madison |
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| 31 Mar 2009 08:29:11 pm |
| Update from Supply Chain Seminar in Wisconsin |
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| Matt Frank, Wisconsin Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, touted Wisconsin's focus on environment stewardship, and noted that state government is very focused on job preservation and growth in the current economic conditions -- and how wind power fits perfectly in both areas. He also said that energy imports are a huge drain on the state's economy, since no coal or natural gas reserves exist -- and wind power will play a leading role in reducing the massive cash outflow to other states from Wisconsin, by generating more of the state's electricity within the state. |
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Category : AWEA News
| Posted By : Chris Madison |
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| 31 Mar 2009 07:02:38 pm |
| AWEA's Wisconsin Supply Chain Seminar Kicks Off |
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| As about 600 registrants arrived at the one-day workshop in Appleton, Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce Dick Leinenkugel offered this assessment of his state's potential role in the wind industry: “Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to be a major supplier of wind turbine components, given our historical manufacturing experience. We make things in Wisconsin, and we make thing really well. Our focus (in state government) is to facilitate those manufacturing relationships so that our state become a major supplier to the wind industry.” |
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Category : AWEA News
| Posted By : Chris Madison |
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| 30 Mar 2009 11:08:14 pm |
| Join the Pickens Virtual March--over 3 million are signed up |
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This April 1-3 is the Virtual March on Washington organized by T. Boone Pickens. So far 3,279,536 people have signed up to participate. If you are reading this and have not signed up, please consider doing so. The idea is get millions of people to contact Congress electronically to urge them to pass comprehensive energy legislation.
I give Boone Pickens a lot of credit for raising the visibility of wind power in America. Since July of last year, Mr. Pickens has invested over $50 million in TV, print and online advertising, and has created a grassroots network of over two million advocates on PickensPlan.com.
Recently, AWEA began partnering with the PickensPlan to promote the creation of a U.S. market for wind power through a national renewable electricity standard and an expanded transmission infrastructure. With a long-term policy commitment to renewable energy, and the power lines to connect windy, rural areas with population centers, America can see wind power grow to provide at least 20% of our electricity. 20% wind power can create 500,000 American jobs and reduce our carbon dioxide emissions as much as removing 140 million vehicles from the road. |
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Category : AWEA News
| Posted By : Denise Bode |
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